The
Condo News print newspaper is published every other Wednesday. It is circulated throughout Palm Beach County, from
Delray to North Palm Beach, and from Singer Island, Palm Beach and
South Palm Beach to Royal Palm Beach, in Condominium, Cooperative
and Home Owner Association Communities. For more information, or to
have the Condo News brought to your community, e-mail us or
write to: P.O. Box 109, West Palm Beach, FL 33409. Tel:(561)
471-0329

•
Iraq War veteran guest at Veterans of the Battle of the
Bulge Christmas Luncheon

•
Special Flag Presented to FSO

•
West Palm Beach National Guardsman receives Bronze Star

•
Nephew of FSO founder killed in Afghanistan

•
1218th Transportation Co., Florida National Guard,

returns
home after 1 year deployment in Iraq

•
A Tribute to a Fallen Soldier

08/30/2013

Forgotten
Soldiers Outreach Opens

FSO
Thrift Store II/Furniture Annex

Photos
by Jimmy Shirley

On
Friday, July 12, Forgotten Soldiers Outreach (FSO)
opened their second thrift store, FSO Furniture
Annex in Buttonwood Plaza at 3032 Jog Road. Their
original thrift store, also in Buttonwood Plaza is
located at 3080 Jog Rd.

Participating
in the ribbon cutting were (pictured above) were
City of Greenacres Deputy Mayor Rochelle Gaenger
and Rep. Lori Berman Dist. 90, as well as Central
Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce Ambassador
Scott Wilson, Donna McDaniels of the City of
Greenacres Community Center, the FSO Team of
Volunteers and the FSO Thrift Store Team.

Pictured above are Andrew
Nguyen (front), Bob Leiup ("Loop") standing left, Casimiro
Crocket, Adm. Dir., and Gary Dukes. The men are members of Nam
Knights. Ms. Crocket lives at the Mayfair House in Palm Beach.

Roy
Foster,

co-founder
of Faith*Hope*Love*Charity, Inc.

and
the

Stand
Down House

Max
Nelson, a Vietnam Veteran, is pictured with his
wife Celia and his mother-in-law Anita.

On
Saturday, July 13, Faith*Hope*Love*Charity, Inc. held their
thirteenth annual STAND*DOWN Picnic at Dubois Park in Jupiter. Stand
Down, founded by Roy Foster, is a grassroots, community based
intervention program designed to help homeless male veterans with a
"hand up", not a hand out. Its program was developed
to help veterans who are struggling with PTSD, mental health issues
and other physical issues and have lost their home, dignity and the
ability to lead productive lives. It is a multi-tiered program that
offers supportive services to assist veterans, active duty armed
forces and families, supportive housing, job training, education
referral, VA/SSA benefit information, AA/NA meetings, peer to peer
support groups, outreach services, family counseling, and so much
more. The program has helped over 2000 veterans.

The
Stand Down House for homeless/displaced male
veterans is located at 4309 Davis Road in Lake
Worth.

Faith*Hope*Love*Charity,
Inc. has also opened a residential facility for
families and female veterans struggling with
homelessness.

For
more information about Faith*Hope*Love* Charity, Inc. and the Stand
Down House, please call them at (561) 968-1612 or visit their
website at www.Standown.org

YouTube Music
Video

The
Miami Dolphins cheerleaders sent the U.S. Troops
in Afghanistan a music video and the troops sent
one back ... mimicking the cheerleaders almost to
perfection. And the soldiers set off a four-point
deuce mortar as point of punctuation.

Marc
George Senzamici is the son of Tony Senzamici’s
nephew Al Senzamici. Tony is the Condo News
columnist for Cresthaven Dudley. The following is
an account provided by his father, Al, for the
Condo News...

Marc
George Senzamici enlisted in the Army in1993 and
started basic training 7 September 1993. Following
basic training, he was assigned to the 10th
Mountain division at Fort Drum, Watertown, New
York where he met his wife Kathy. While assigned
to 10th Mountain division, he was part of the
invasion of Haiti (Operation Uphold Democracy) and
was in Cap-Haïtien, Haiti from 1994-1995. He went
to Egypt in 1997 for a year.

Marc
became an Army recruiter in Batavia, New York from
2001 to 2004. He was then assigned to 172nd 4-23 B
Co Stryker Brigade unit at Fort Richardson,
Anchorage, Alaska and was in Mosul, Iraq for a 15
month tour 2005 - 2006.

The
172nd Stryker Brigade unit was rebadged as the
1/25 Stryker Brigade unit and Marc was then
stationed at Fort Wainwright, Fairbanks, Alaska
where he did another tour of duty in Baghdad, Iraq
with wth 1-25th Stryker Brigade A Co from 2008 to
2009.

Marc
was promoted to First Sergeant in May of 2009.
This was followed by a tour of duty with the same
unit in Afghanistan where he sustained traumatic
brain injury and loss of hearing from multiple IED
explosions. He has also been diagnosed with PTSD.

Marc
is now in the Wounded Warrior Project and he and
his wife Kathy own a home in North Pole, Alaska.
You have to drive on base to get to their home. He
is scheduled to retire in 2013. He is currently
enrolled at University of Alaska, Fairbanks and
becoming a certified welder and fabricator. He
loves building things for his trucks.

He
loves camping, hunting and 4 wheeling in Alaska.
He makes me proud every day.

Iraq
War Veteran Guest of Veterans of the Battle of the
Bulge Christmas Luncheon, Dec. 18, 2011

Photo
by Jimmy Shirley

Angel
Crespo served with the U.S. Army 4th Inf. in Iraq
from Sept. 2008 to Sept. 2009, the same unit that
captured Sadaam Hussein in 2005.Crespo had served
in the National Guard during peace time. After
9/11, he enlisted in the Army. He was a guest of
the VBOB Chapter for their Dec. 2011 luncheon.

Angel
Crespo is pictured on his
first day in Iraq…. "The picture was
taken on the tarmac of Bagdad International
Airport while waiting for choppers to take us
south about 75 miles of Bagdad," explains
Crespo.

Photo
was taken by another soldier

A
"Special" Flag Presented to Forgotten
Soldiers Outreach

Donald
Pray (left) presents to FSO the flag and
certificate to Lynelle Zelnar (center) Executive
Director and Founder, Bob Nichols (right) National
Chairman of the Board.

Lake
Worth, FL – On July 12, 2011, FSO Volunteer and
avid supporter, Donald Pray formally presented to
Forgotten Soldiers Outreach (FSO) an American Flag
that was flown over the Headquarters of the
International Security Force in Kabul on May 2,
2011, the same day that our forces killed Osama
Bin Laden. Mr. Pray also presented a Certificate
that was sent to him, along with the flag, to
present to FSO from Captain John Tucci, United
States Air Force presently serving in Afghanistan.
Captain Tucci is a family friend of Mr. Pray, and
also an FSO recipient. Captain Tucci wanted to
show his gratitude to the organization so he
forwarded the flag and certificate to Mr. Pray to
personally present to Forgotten Soldiers Outreach.

Bob
Nichols, National Chairman of the Board and
Lynelle Zelnar, Executive Director and Founder of
Forgotten Soldiers Outreach were honored to be the
recipient of such a special flag commemorating a
very special day in our country’s history.

Zelnar
commented that ‘we simply want to send that
little bit of home to assure they are not
forgotten", and to receive such an honor from
a recipient, is truly special and is what keeps
our mission alive.

Captain
Tucci commented in his cover letter that he was
very appreciative of FSO’s "we care"
packages that they have been receiving and noted
that they have a "very positive impact on his
morale and that of his fellow service
members".

FSO
is proud to say that since 2003, they have sent
out over 100,000 "we care" packages
benefiting over a quarter million of our military
personnel, covering all world theaters.

If
you wish to volunteer, make a donation or inquire
on more information about Forgotten Soldiers
Outreach, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization
registered with the State of Florida, State of
Georgia and State of Tennessee, please log on to www.forgottensoldiers.org
or call 561-369-2933.

Master
Sergeant Arthur Head of West Palm Beach receives
Bronze Star

Photos
by Jimmy Shirley

Sen.
Bill Nelson prepares to pin the Bronze Star on
M/Sgt. Arthur Head

Bronze
Star Commendation

Bronze
Star

Kathleen
Dougherty and M/Sgt. Arthur Head following the
ceremony.

Jimmy
Shirley, of the Condo News with Sen. Bill
Nelson.

On
5 March 2011, Senator Bill Nelson (D. Fla.) made a
special trip to the National Guard Armory off Gun
Club Road to pin the Bronze Medal on Master
Sergeant Arthur Head, of the Florida National
Guard. He rewrote the security protocols for
Afghanistan after arriving there and finding
security incredibly lax. Two years after he left
Afghanistan, when then Vice President Dick Cheney
was visiting the post where Head had been, the
base was attacked with suicide bombers and grenade
launchers in a surprise attack. Because of the
policies M/Sgt. Arthur Head had developed and
implemented, the base was not breached.

Head,
55, has served in the military for 27 years and
plans to stay in the National Guard until he must
retire at age 60. All the men in his family,
grandfather, father, uncles and brother, all
served in the Armed Forces. His son Brian is
serving with the U.S. Coast Guard in Texas and was
unable to take leave to be here. Brian was
supposed to pin the medal on his dad. However, his
former mother-in-law, Kathleen Dougherty, of
Boynton Beach, was on hand to congratulate him
following the ceremony.

We
at the Condo News and Condo News Online
are saddened to learn of the loss of Spc Michael
Stansbery, Jr. US ARMY, nephew of Lynelle Chauncey
Zelner, Executive Director and Founder of
Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, and her husband Mike.
Following is the announcement made to the
organization's volunteers and supporters followed
by a personal message from Lynelle for Condo News
Online ...

A
TRUE LOSS TO FSO AND TO MY FAMILY, PERSONALLY

July
30, 2010 - It’s with great sorrow and a heavy
heart that I bring this message to you, but I feel I
need to share this with everyone….today I received
a phone call from my mother-in-law to inform me that
our nephew, Spc Michael Stansbery Jr., US Army was
killed in action in Afghanistan, yesterday!
You may have heard about the 6 that were killed on
the news today…well one of them was my nephew.
My husband was very close to Michael, and the family
was concerned on how Mike (my husband) would take
this news, so they came to me to break it to
him…the most difficult moment of my life!

Michael
was on his second tour, this time with the 101st
Airborne Division and in Afghanistan, last year he
was with a different division and was stationed in
Iraq. Michael was only 20 years old. Not
only was he our nephew, but he was a committed,
dedicated soldier who truly gave his life to our
country. He always wanted to be a soldier,
ever since he was a little boy, I have no doubt that
he died doing what he wanted….serving our country.
Michael was also a recipient of FSO, and established
a wonderful email relationship with Helen Saucier,
FSO Packing Event Manager.

She
said Michael was such a nice, kind gentleman, and
always very polite and appreciative for what we sent
to him, He also provided FSO with other names
of soldiers, and for this tour, he even requested
specific items, that they needed, which we were able
to fulfill. What touched Helen so much was how
Michael would express in his emails his true
appreciation along with certain requests, including
pillow case covers because of the dust, Honey Buns,
mini-flashlights and cheap snacks and it really
moved her when he would even recommended to just go
to the Dollar General or Walmart and that there is
no need to spend a lot of money. He always
emailed to say THANK YOU and that he and the guys
truly appreciate what FSO does for him and all the
military personnel.

Michael,
was not only my dear nephew, but he was one of
America’s Great
Heroes, who will be forever missed, and forever
remembered.

Please,
for Michael, continue your support of FSO…..as he
gave his life for all of us, but always made a point
to acknowledge how much he appreciated FSO and all
the volunteers. This one really hit home
for FSO!

The
deaths raise the July tally of U.S. service members
killed in Afghanistan to 66, making this month the
deadliest of the war since U.S. warplanes began
bombing Afghanistan a month after the Sept. 11,
2001, terrorist attacks. Now Michael has
become a statistic….but he will always be a hero
to me!

"What
an honor to be the Aunt of a True American Hero,
Michael gave the ultimate sacrifice on 7.30.2010 for
our country, and I know deep in my heart, this is
what he would have wanted...he was a committed,
dedicated soldier, who believed 100% in serving our
country. This was his pride! He
wanted to be his soldier his entire life and was
able to fulfill his dream, unfortunately for the
United States of America, his dream ended on his 2nd
tour, this one in Afghanistan, but he died a True
American Hero! RIP Michael....

As
the "grieving aunt", Executive
Director and Founder of Forgotten Soldiers Outreach,
Inc. ("FSO"), a national not-for-profit
organization that since 2003 has been sending out
monthly "we care" packages to our military
personnel serving overseas, covering all world
theaters, Michael's death has touched the
organization and it's volunteers personally.
His gratitude and emails of appreciation to FSO is
an example of what a nice, gentleman, appreciative
man he was. He provided us with more names of
soldiers to become recipients and made special
requests of items, which we were able to always
fulfill It's the gratefulness and
appreciation that he and others soldiers share with
us that keeps our organization going strong....this
is a time that people can help us with our mission
of sending "that little bit of home" to
assure they are not forgotten, by making a
donation to FSO in Michael's memory, what an awesome
way to pay tribute and honor a True American Hero!
Donations can made directly via paypal on our
website, www.forgottensoldiers.org
or mail to:

Son
- Jordan G. 17, Lake Worth High School,
active in Water polo and football; both from
Lantana

On
1 July 2010, the 1218th Transportation Company,
Florida National Guard, came home from a year long
deployment in Al Asad, Iraq. After landing at the
Palm Beach International Airport, they were
escorted by the Sheriff's department to Lake
Lytal Park where they dismounted the buses and
marched to the Callaway Armory. After they
gathered in formation in front of the armory, and
after enduring a short speech by Colonel Frank
Laudano while standing in the hot, scorching
Florida sun, they were dimissed into the loving
arms of family members eagerly awaiting to do just
that.

A
Tribute to a Fallen Soldier

By
Jimmy Shirley

A
note from the author: Meeting the Seidel family is one of the
most significant moments of my life, which is what prompts me to
share this story now. The experience was very deep and moving. I
will never forget Rob and the rest of his family.

On
20 December 2006, Sgt. Luke Shirley was leading his platoon of
men on a dismounted patrol through a cornfield in Iraq, a region
there known as the triangle of death. In the lead, he halted his
men as he found a tripwire on the ground. After he called in the
coordinates to headquarters, he stepped over the wire and within
a few feet, stepped on the real target, an improvised explosive
device which catapulted him into the night time air and
back onto the ground, minus his right arm and leg. Thus, the
rest of Luke's life began.

His
brother Joshua, with whom he was closer than most siblings are,
was within 60 miles when Luke was hit. Joshua was soon located
and made aware of his brother's situation and was flown to be
with him, for moral support and to aid the medics in the field.
But for the love and mercy of God above, and the skill of the
medics in the field, Luke would have died that night, for as has
been told me, he bled out there.

Earlier
that year, on 18 May, 1st Lieutenant Robert Augustine Seidel
III, died in Iraq when his humvee was struck by a roadside bomb.
He was 23.

According
to LTC Kevin Brown on May 20, 2006:

"Robert
was a great American. He was confident, competent, humble and
always had a wry smile ready to flash to brighten any moment. I
had the utmost confidence in his ability - he was an outstanding
Infantry Platoon Leader and I am proud to be able to say that I
served with him."

Such
are all the eulogies listed on the website hosted by the United
States Military Academy at West Point, new York. Rob was a 2000
graduate of Catoctin High School, and a rifle platoon leader
with the 2nd Battalion in the 22nd Infantry Regiment of the 10th
Mountain Division, out of Fort Drum, N.Y. He graduated from West
Point in 2004 Lt. Seidel was also an Army Ranger who was
qualified for air assaults. Rob Seidel is a third generation Emmetsburg
resident. He holds the distinction of being the first Emmetsburg
resident to graduate from the United States Military Academy at
West Point NY.

Back
in June of 2007, Luke learned he was to be a recipient of a
wheelchair accessible van, compliments of a fine organization,
OPERATION SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, http://www.west-point.org/family/support-our-troops/, based in Rhode
Island. I had been invited by him to be a part of this and there
was no way I was going to miss this.

Joshua
and Luke Shirley look over a plaque memorializing Lt.
Seidel. The plaque was a gift to Luke from the Seidels.

Photo
by Jimmy Shirley

Joshua,
Luke, the driver and myself departed from D.C. early in the
evening for West Point, New York, where on Saturday between the
1st and 2nd quarters of the Army/Rhode Island football game, the
presentation would be made. But on most of the day of Friday, we
spent a lot of time with the presenters, Robert Augustine Seidel
II, his wife Sandy, their son Steve, and the organization. I got
to know of their pain, the loss of their first born son, Robert
III. According to those who knew him, Robert was the kind of
young man parents only dreamed their daughters would bring home
as the man they planned to marry. His brother Steve, always
looked up to him and according to his parents, Rob was not THE
perfect son, but almost.

Photo
by Jimmy Shirley

Luke
Shirley, in wheelchair was presented with the wheelchair
accessible van at left by Operation Support Our Troops in
memory of Lt. Robert A. Seidel, III, killed in Iraq. With
Luke are Seidel’s parents and brother, (l-r, standing)
Sandy, Robert, Jr, and Steve.

When
the van was presented at the game by his parents, there was not a dry eye around
them, including me. The fans were mostly oblivious to this, even though an
announcement had been made. Some did applaud afterwards. But for those of us who
were immediately around them, tears were dribbling and words were choking.

The
Seidels ought to be commended for doing the fine job of raising two boys into
men. Steve is now a certified paint and body man in Pennsylvania. I can say this
with all honesty. I will always remember the Seidels and their son, Rob. They
will be in my heart until the day I leave this earth.

While
Rob was in Iraq, he penned a beautiful poem called A TRIBUTE TO MY FATHER.
So, being Memorial Day has just passed and Father's Day is right around the
corner, it seemed appropriate to share this wonderful tribute to the man who
meant so much to this fallen hero, the man who inspired these wonderful words.

He
would watch us, his eyes filled with worry and pride

Two
sons of my father, my brother and I.

Deep
down we knew he would always be there,

To
protect us and shield us from all life’s despair.

And
as we’ve grown older I know he must yield,

To
a duty that only a father must feel.

To
watch over his sons though they’ve grown to be men,

And
to offer us guidance every now and again.

And
I know he must ask of the Lord as he prays,

Watch
over my boys if today is my day.

Now
cloaked under the darkness of a soft desert sky,

I
feel a strange likeness between my father and I.

For
now I’m a father to thirty young men,

Related
only through the blood that we’ve shed.

And
they look up to me to lead them through the fight,

For
we know not what awaits us this cold desert night.

But
I’ve vowed to protect them and bring them all home,

So
may I find strength in the courage they’ve shown.

And
like my father I ask the Lord as I pray,

Watch
over my boys if today is my day.

Written in the Iraqi desert by: 1LT Robert A. Seidel, III,

27
Oct 1982 - 18 May 2006

Killed
in Action Operation Iraqi Freedom

Rob
Seidel on 30 January 2007: "The following
quotation was found on Rob's laptop computer when it was returned to
us from Iraq, about a month after Rob's funeral. We were so
astonished by the message, we had it inscribed on his Tombstone. He
was buried in his hometown of Emmetsburg Maryland with full military
honors. Within thirty feet of his final resting place stands an old
oak tree, and within two hundred yards lies the creek he used to
play in as a child."

Bury
me beneath that old oak tree,

Down
by the creek I used to play in as a child.

And
you will see,

When
you hear the bugle play,

It
plays for me.

And
my soul will carry on."

Lt.
Robert A. Seidel III

Luke
and Joshua immediately following the van presentation. A
reporter (not pictured) wants to talk to them.

Photo
by Jimmy Shirley

Luke,
Joshua and Jimmy were guests of West Point Superintendant Lt.
Gen. Franklin L. Hagenback on his
yacht for a dinner-cruise down the historic Hudson River after
the van presentation. The photo was taken with Jimmy's camera by
a
member of Operation Support Our Troops.